Item identifying mobile apparatus

ABSTRACT

This disclosure describes, in part, a mobile apparatus for identifying items. For instance, the mobile apparatus may include a main frame, a chassis attached to the main frame, and a basket that attaches to the chassis in order to prevent the basket from contacting the main frame. One or more sensors, such as weight sensor(s), may be located between the basket and the main frame. The mobile apparatus may further include a shelf that extends substantially horizontally from the main frame, where a gate separates the basket from the shelf. A user may then place first item(s) within a receptacle of the basket and second item(s) within a receptacle of the shelf. The mobile apparatus may further include a handlebar module attached to the main frame, where the handlebar module includes an opening for inserting a removable battery of the mobile apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Retail stores maintain an inventory of items in customer-accessibleareas such that customers can pick items from the inventory forpurchase, rental, and so forth. For example, a customer may take itemsfrom shelves located within the store and place the items in a shoppingcart. When the customer is finished identifying and retrieving theitems, the customer may transport the items, using the shopping cart, toa check-out destination within the store, such as a cashier or dedicatedself-checkout stand. In some circumstances, the shopping cart mayinclude sensors, such as cameras and weight sensors, that are configuredto determine the items that are placed into the shopping cart by thecustomer. In these circumstances, the shopping cart may then update alist of items for the customer, display the list of items to thecustomer, and/or send the list of items to a system for processing of atransaction for the items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical items or features.

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate an example of a mobile apparatus for identifyingitems, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the mobile apparatus, in accordancewith examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a basket of the mobile apparatus that includes agate, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate a view of a bottom of the basket of the mobileapparatus, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates another view of the bottom of the basket, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a battery of the mobile apparatus, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a rail system for guiding the batteryinto an opening of the mobile apparatus during installation of thebattery, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example of preventing the battery from beinginstalled improperly, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8B illustrates an example of inserting the battery properly, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of securing the battery within the mobileapparatus, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of removing the battery from the mobileapparatus, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a locking mechanism for the battery,in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of components of a handlebar module, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 illustrates example components of the mobile apparatusconfigured to support at least a portion of functionality of an itemmanagement system, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 14 is an example process for using capacitive sensor(s) of aninventory location to detect item events, in accordance with examples ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes, in part, mobile apparatuses that use sensorsto detect items. For instance, a mobile apparatus, such as a shoppingcart, may include at least a main frame, a chassis that attaches to themain frame, a basket that attaches to the chassis, and sensor(s)disposed between the basket and the chassis. In some examples, thebasket attaches to the chassis such that the basket does not contact themain frame during operation (e.g., there is an air gap around theperimeter of the basket and the main frame). The mobile apparatus mayfurther include a shelf that extends off the basket and a moveable gatethat separates a receptacle of the basket from a receptacle of theshelf. This way, a user may be able to separate item(s) placed withinthe receptacle of the basket from item(s) placed within the receptacleof the shelf. Additionally, the mobile apparatus may include a handlebarmodule that includes at least a display, additional sensor(s), and anopening for receiving a removable battery that provides power to theelectrical components of the mobile apparatus. The mobile apparatus maybe configured to use the sensor(s) to identify items placed within thereceptacle(s), use the display to notify the user about the identifieditem(s), and/or send data representing the items to one or morecomputing devices.

For more detail, the mobile apparatus may include a frame (referred to,in some examples, as the “main frame” or an “upper frame”) thatincludes, or supports, components of the mobile apparatus. For example,a top portion of the main frame may support at least the handlebarmodule while a bottom portion of the main frame supports at least achassis. The chassis may include any shape, such as an “X” shape, asquare, a circle, a triangle, and/or the like, and support one or moresensors of the mobile apparatus. For example, the chassis may includethe “X” shape and support a weight sensor, where a first loadcell of theweight sensor is disposed proximate to a first end of the chassis, asecond loadcell of the weight sensor is disposed proximate to a secondend of the chassis, a third loadcell of the weight sensor is disposedproximate to a third end of the chassis, and a fourth loadcell of theweight sensor is disposed proximate to a fourth end of the chassis.While this example describes the chassis as supporting four loadcells ofthe weight sensor, in other examples, the chassis may support any numberof loadcells of the weight sensor.

The chassis may further include, and/or support, the basket. The basketmay include a bottom having a given shape (e.g., a quadrilateral shape,a circular shape, a triangular shape, etc.), one or more sides (e.g.,three sides, four sides, etc.) protruding from the bottom to define areceptacle, and a top having a perimeter that defines an opening of thereceptacle to receive items that are placed within the basket. In someexamples, the sides of the basket may include a pattern that isconfigured to reduce flexing of the basket. For example, the sides ofthe basket may include a ribbed pattern, where the ribbed pattern isconfigured to reduce the flexing of the sides the basket when pressureis applied to the sides. In some examples, this pressure may be appliedto the sides by items placed within the basket, such as when the itemsare contacting the sides of the basket. By reducing the flexing of thesides of the basket using such a pattern, the basket may maintain thatair gap between the basket and the main frame.

In some examples, the basket, such as one of the sides of the basket,may include a gate that is configured to move between a first position(which may be referred to, in some examples, as a “closed position”) anda second position (which may be referred to, in some examples, as an“open position”). In such examples, the bottom of the basket may includefeature(s), such as groove(s), notch(es), channel(s), trench(es), and/orthe like, that are configured to receive an additional feature(s), suchas fastener(s), clasp(s), snap(s), extension(s), and/or the like of thegate when the gate is in the first position. For example, and asdescribed in more detail below, the additional feature(s) of the gatemay be configured to insert into the feature(s) of the basket such thatthat the gate cannot move laterally (e.g., to the sides) while in thefirst position. However, even when the gate is laterally secured to thebasket, the gate may still be able to move from the first position tothe second position, such as when a force is applied to a back of thebasket (which is described in more detail below).

As described above, the basket attaches to the chassis such that thebasket is prevented from contacting the main frame of the mobileapparatus. For example, the basket may be attached to the chassis suchthat there is an air gap between the perimeter of the basket and the topof the main frame when the mobile apparatus is being utilized by a user.This way, if the user contacts the main frame, such as to lean on themain frame to place an item within the receptacle of the basket, theweight of the user does not impact the weight sensor disposed on thechassis. In some examples, one or more fastener may be used to securethe basket to the chassis. As described herein, a fastener may include,but is not limited to, an expansion joint, a screw, a bolt, a mold,tape, a welding material, and/or any other mechanism that may be used toattach the basket to the chassis. For example, such as when the chassisincludes the “X” shape, the one or more fasteners may include a firstfastener (e.g., a first expansion joint) disposed proximate to a firstend of the chassis, a second fastener (e.g., a second expansion joint)disposed proximate to a second end of the chassis, a third fastener(e.g., a third expansion joint) disposed proximate to a third end of thechassis, and a fourth fastener (e.g., a fourth expansion joint) disposedproximate to a fourth end of the chassis.

In some examples, one or more of the fasteners may be configured toalign the basket onto the chassis in order to maintain the gap betweenthe basket and the main frame. For example, the chassis may includeopening(s), where fastener(s) (e.g., screw(s)) attach to the basketthrough the opening(s). In such an example, the opening(s) may beconfigured to allow for adjusting the location of the basket on thechassis in order to maintain the gap. For instance, the fastener(s) thatpass through the opening(s) may be configured to move side-to-sidewithin the opening(s) to adjust the location of the basket on thechassis. For example, the fastener(s) may be configured such that a usermay loosen the fastener(s), adjust the location of the basket on thechassis to ensure that the gap remains between the basket and the mainframe, and then tightened the fastener(s) in order to secure the basketat the location on the chassis. In some examples, the mobile apparatusincludes a number of these fastener(s). The number may include, but isnot limited to, one fastener, two fasteners, five fasteners, eightfasteners, ten fasteners, and/or any other number of fasteners.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus may include a bar that isconfigured to protect one or more components of the mobile apparatus,such as the handlebar module. For example, the bar may extend between atleast a first side of the main frame to a second, opposite side of themain frame. As such, and in some examples, the bar may be configured toprotect the handlebar module by preventing the gate from contacting thehandlebar module when the gate moves between the first position and thesecond position. Additionally, in some examples, the bar may beconfigured to protect the handlebar module by preventing an additionalbasket of an additional mobile apparatus from contacting the handlebarmodule, such as when the mobile apparatuses are nested.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus may include one or more othercomponents that help protect the connection between the basket and thechassis. For a first example, such as when the chassis includes theweight sensor with the loadcell(s), the mobile apparatus may include oneor more first components that are located proximate to the loadcell(s),where the first component(s) operate as stops when a large force isapplied downward on the basket (e.g., when a user leans onto thebasket). The first component(s) may include raised area(s), such asprotrusion(s), lip(s), flange(s), and/or the like. For a second example,the mobile apparatus may include one or more second components thatoperate to prevent horizontal movement of the basket with respect to thechassis. For instance, the second component(s) may include pin(s) thatbottom out within hole(s) when there is a horizontal force applied tothe basket. Still, for a third example, the mobile apparatus may includeone or more third components that operate to prevent a separating (e.g.,a lifting) of the basket from the chassis. While these are just a coupleexamples of component(s) that help protect the connection between thebasket and the chassis, in other examples, the mobile apparatus mayinclude additional and/or alternative components to help protect theconnection between the basket and the chassis.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus may include another compartment,separate from the basket, for holding items. For example, the mobileapparatus may include a shelf that is coupled to and extendssubstantially horizontally from the basket. In such an example, theshelf may extend from a side of the basket that is closest to a userwhen the user is operating the mobile apparatus (e.g., a back side ofthe basket). The shelf may include a bottom having a given shape (e.g.,a quadrilateral shape, a circular shape, a triangular shape, etc.), oneor more sides (e.g., four sides, etc.) protruding from the bottom todefine a receptacle, and a top having a perimeter that defines anopening of the receptacle to receive items that are placed within theshelf. In some examples, one or more of the sides of the shelf mayinclude a portion of one or more of the sides of the basket. Forexample, the basket and the shelf may share the same left and rightsides. Additionally, the gate of the basket may separate the receptacleof the basket from the receptacle of the shelf.

The mobile apparatus may further include a handlebar module that iscoupled to the main frame. The handlebar module may include one or moresensors (e.g., camera(s), scanner(s), proximity sensor(s), motionsensor(s), etc.), one or more lights, a display, and/or any other typeof electronic device. Additionally, the handlebar module may include anopening for receiving the removable battery that provides power to theelectrical components of the mobile apparatus. In some examples, themobile apparatus may include a rail system that guides the battery intothe opening when installing the battery into the mobile apparatus and/orguides the battery out of the opening when removing the battery from themobile apparatus. For example, the opening may include a first railfeature that is configured to “slide into” a second rail feature of thebattery when an associate is inserting the battery into the openingand/or removing the battery from the opening. In some examples, the railsystem guides the battery using an angle such that the battery may beremoved from and/or inserted into the mobile apparatus even when themobile apparatus is “nested” with other mobile apparatus(es).

In some examples, the opening may further include a latching system,such as prong(s) and/or spring-loaded ram(s), that insert into one ormore cavities of the battery when the battery is inserted into theopening. This way, the latching system may be configured to both securethe battery within the opening (e.g., lock the battery in place) andoffload impact forces directly to the housing of the handlebar module.In some examples, such as when the latching system includes theprong(s), the battery may be unlatched using a key that is inserted intoanother opening. For example, the key may be configured to accesslifter(s) associated with the prong(s) in order to release the batterysuch that the battery may be removed from the opening of the handlebarmodule. In examples where the mobile apparatus includes the key, themobile apparatus may further include security features(s), such aspin(s), that are designed to only allow access to the key for unlatchingthe battery. For example, if a user of the mobile apparatus attempts touse a different type of apparatus to unlatch the battery, the pin(s) maybe configured to prevent the apparatus from accessing the lifter(s) ofthe prong(s).

The main frame of the mobile apparatus may be connected to a wheel framethat includes components for providing mobility to the mobile apparatus.For instance, the wheel frame may support one or more wheel castors toenable movement of the mobile apparatus along a surface. The wheelcasters may include one or more wheels, axles, forks, joints or othercomponents which enable the mobile apparatus to travel on varioussurfaces. For instance, in some examples, each of the wheel casters mayinclude a single wheel provided on an axle within a fork, or two or morewheels provided on such an axle. In some other examples, the wheelcasters may include two or more axles. Alternatively, in still otherexamples, a single caster may be provided in lieu of the multiple wheelcasters.

In some examples, the bottom of the mobile apparatus may include asimilar structure as the top of the mobile apparatus. For example, anadditional chassis may be attached to the wheel frame. The additionalchassis may include any shape, such as an “X” shape, a square, a circle,a triangle, and/or the like, and support one or more sensors of themobile apparatus. For example, the additional chassis may include the“X” shape and support a weight sensor, where loadcell(s) are disposed atvarious location(s) on the additional chassis. The additional chassismay further include, and/or support, a tray. The tray may include abottom having a given shape (e.g., a quadrilateral shape, a circularshape, a triangular shape, etc.). In some examples, the tray may furtherinclude a separator that separate a first portion of the tray (e.g., afront portion of the tray) from a second portion of the tray (e.g., aback portion of the tray).

In some examples, the tray attaches to the additional chassis such thatthe tray is prevented from contacting the wheel frame of the mobileapparatus. For example, the tray may be attached to the chassis suchthat there is an air gap between the perimeter of the tray and the mainframe when the mobile apparatus is being utilized by a user. This way,if the user contacts the wheel frame, such as to step on the wheelframe, the weight of the user does not impact the weight sensor(s)disposed on the additional chassis. Additionally, in some examples, thetray may include lips that extend over the wheel frame. By includingthese lips, items that are placed on the tray may be unable to contactthe wheel frame. As such, all of the weight of the items placed on thetray may be measured by the weight sensor(s) located underneath thetray.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus may be configured to identityitems and/or characteristics associated with the items that are placedwithin the receptacle(s) of the mobile apparatus. For a first example,the mobile apparatus may use the weight sensor that is associated withthe chassis in order to determine the weight of an item that is placedwithin the receptacle of the basket and/or within the receptacle of theshelf. When the weight sensor includes four loadcells, the mobileapparatus may determine the weight using data received from each of theloadcells. For instance, the mobile apparatus may use the data todetermine a respective weight measured by each of the loadcells and thendetermine the total weight using the measured weights (e.g., determinethe total weight by adding the measured weights together). Additionally,to determine the weight of the item placed within the basket, the mobileapparatus may determine the weight as a difference between a firstweight measured before the item was placed within the receptacle and asecond weight measured after the item is placed within the receptacle.In some examples, the mobile apparatus may then be configured todetermine an identity of the item, a price of the item that is based onthe weight, and/or any other characteristic associated with the item.

For a second example, the mobile apparatus may use other sensor(s), suchas camera(s), scanner(s), and/or the like, to determine an identifier ofan item placed within the receptacle(s). The identifier may include acode (e.g., a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, etc.), a label (e.g.,a name, a brand, etc.), a logo, and/or any other type of identifier thatmay be placed on an item. The mobile apparatus may then be configured touse the identifier in order to identify the item. For instance, if theidentifier includes a barcode, then the mobile apparatus may beconfigured to identify the item using the barcode. In some examples, themobile apparatus may then associate the weight determined using theweight sensor with the identified item. For example, if the item ispriced per unit weight, the mobile apparatus may associate the weightwith the item and then determine the price of the item using the weight.

For a third example, and similar to the weight sensor of the basket, themobile apparatus may use the weight sensor that is associated with thetray in order to determine the weight of an item that is place on thetray. When the weight sensor includes multiple loadcells, the mobileapparatus may determine the weight using data received from each of theloadcells. For instance, the mobile apparatus may use the data todetermine a respective weight measured by each of the loadcells and thendetermine the total weight using the measured weights (e.g., determinethe total weight by adding the measured weights together). Additionally,to determine the weight of the item placed on the tray, the mobileapparatus may determine the weight as a difference between a firstweight measured before the item was placed on the tray and a secondweight measured after the item is placed on the tray. In some examples,the mobile apparatus may then be configured to determine an identity ofthe item, a price of the item that is based on the weight, and/or anyother characteristic associated with the item.

In either of these examples, the mobile apparatus may then be configuredto update a virtual shopping cart for a user, where the virtual shoppingcart represents the item(s) that have been placed within thereceptacle(s), item(s) that have been placed on the tray, weight(s) ofthe item(s), price(s) of the item(s), and/or any other information.Additionally, the mobile apparatus may be configured to use the displayassociated with the handlebar module to present the information to theuser. This way, the user is provided with the most updated informationassociated with the shopping session while the user continues to placenew items in the mobile apparatus.

By configuring the mobile apparatus such that the basket is attached tothe chassis and prevented from contacting the main frame, the weightsensor(s) located between the basket and the chassis may be configuredto only measure the weight of item(s) placed within the receptacle(s) ofthe mobile apparatus. For example, if a user contacts the main frameduring operation of the mobile apparatus, such as by leaning on the mainframe or pulling on the main frame, the force from the user may not betransferred from the main frame and to the basket. As such, the weightsensor(s) may not measure the force that is applied to the main frame bythe user. This may help increase the accuracy of the mobile apparatuswhen using the weight to identify the characteristic(s) of the item(s)placed within the receptacle(s).

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate an example of a mobile apparatus 102 foridentifying items, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure. The mobile apparatus 102 may include a main frame 104(1)-(4)(also referred to as a “main frame 104”). As shown, the main frame 102may include at least a top portion 104(1), side portions 104(2), a frontportion 104(3), and a bottom portion 104(4) (illustrated at least inFIGS. 4A-4B). The top portion of the main frame 104(1) may also includea handlebar 106 that a user uses to push the mobile apparatus 102. Themain frame 104 may be made of plastic, wood, metal, composites, or anyother material and/or combinations of materials. As shown, the mainframe 104 may include, and/or support, the other components of themobile apparatus 102.

For example, the main frame 104 (e.g., the bottom portion 104(4)) maysupport a chassis 108. As shown in more detail with regard to FIGS.4A-4B, the chassis 108 may include any shape, such as an “X” shape, asquare, a circle, a triangle, and/or the like, and support one or moresensors of the mobile apparatus 102. For example, the chassis 108 mayinclude the “X” shape that supports a weight sensor, where a firstloadcell of the weight sensor is disposed proximate to a first end ofthe chassis, a second loadcell of the weight sensor is disposedproximate to a second end of the chassis, a third loadcell of the weightsensor is disposed proximate to a third end of the chassis, and a fourthloadcell of the weight sensor is disposed proximate to a fourth end ofthe chassis. While this example describes the weight sensor as includefour loadcells, in other examples, the chassis 108 may include anynumber of loadcells. Additionally, the chassis 108 may be made ofplastic, wood, metal, composites, or any other material and/orcombinations of materials.

The chassis 108 may further include, and/or support, a basket 110. Thebasket 110 may comprise a bottom 112 having a given shape (e.g., aquadrilateral shape, a circular shape, a triangular shape, etc.), sides114(1)-(3) (also referred to as “sides 114”) protruding from the bottom112 to define a receptacle, and a top 116 having a perimeter thatdefines an opening of the receptacle to receive items that are placedwithin the basket 110. In the example of FIGS. 1A-1B, the sides 114 ofthe basket 110 (as well as a gate 118 described below) include a ribbedpattern. As shown, the ribbed pattern may include openings 120 (althoughonly one is labeled for clarity reasons) that are rectangular in shape,but with circular ends. However, in other examples, the openings mayinclude any other shape. The sides of the basket 114 further includeprotrusions 122 (although only one is labeled for clarity reasons) thatextend from the bottom 112 of the basket 110 to the top 116 of thebasket 110 and/or laterally along the sides 114 of the basket 110.

In some examples, and as described in more detail here, the openings 120and/or the protrusions 122 are configured to strengthen the basket 110,while also maintaining an overall lightweight design for the basket 110.For example, the openings 120 and/or the protrusions 122 may beconfigured to reduce the flexing that occurs to the sides 114 (as wellas the gate 118) when forces are applied. For instance, when a userplaces an item within the basket 110 such that the item is pressedagainst a side 114(2) of the basket 110 (e.g., the item is leaning onthe side 114(2)), the openings 120 and/or the protrusion 122 may bedesigned to reduce the flexing that occurs with respect to the side114(2) such that the side 114(2) does not contact the main frame 104(1).This may maintain the are gap between the basket 110 and the main frame104(1).

In some examples, the openings 120 may be configured to reduce theoverall weight of the basket 110 while the protrusion 122 may beconfigured to provide additional strength to the basket 110. Forexample, by including the opening 120, the basket 110 may require lessmaterial, which will reduce the overall weight of the basket 110.However, this reducing of the overall weight of the basket 110 mayinitially also reduce the strength of the basket 110. As such, theprotrusion 122 may be configured to provide extra material in order toagain increase the strength of the basket 110. Additionally, the designof the protrusions 122, which are again both horizontally and verticallyaligned along the sides 114 of the basket 110, may provide for thegreatest increase in the strength for the basket 110. As such, byincluding both the openings 110 120 and the protrusions 122, the overallweight of the basket 110 is reduced while the overall strength of thebasket 110 is still increased.

Additionally, the basket 110 also includes a gate 118 that is configuredto move between the first position, which is illustrated in the exampleof FIGS. 1A-1C, and the second position, such as an open position. Asshown, the gate 118 is attached to both a top of the side 114(2) and atop of the side 114(3) of the basket 110 such that the gate 118 is ableto move between the different positions. As will be illustrated anddiscussed more with regard to FIG. 3 , the bottom 112 of the basket 110may include feature(s), such as groove(s), notch(es), channel(s),trench(es), and/or the like, that are configured to receive anadditional feature(s), such as fastener(s), clasp(s), snap(s),extension(s), and/or the like of the gate 118 when the gate 118 is inthe first position. As described herein, the features of the gate 118and the basket 110 may be configured to prevent lateral movement (e.g.,sideways movement towards the side 114(2) and the side 114(3) of thegate 118 when the gate 118 is in the first position. However, even withthe features, the gate 118 is still able to move between the firstposition and the second position.

The mobile apparatus 102 may also include a shelf 124 that is coupled toand extends substantially horizontally from the basket 110. For example,the shelf 124 may extend at a 0-degree horizontal angle, a 10-degreehorizontal angle, a 20-horizontal degree angle, and/or any otherhorizontal angle from the bottom 112 of the basket 110. As shown, theshelf 124 extends from a side of the basket 110 that is closest to auser when the user is operating the mobile apparatus 102 (e.g., abackside of the basket 110). The shelf 124 may include a bottom 126having a given shape (e.g., a quadrilateral shape, a circular shape, atriangular shape, etc.), the sides 114(2)-(3) protruding from the bottom126, and sides 128(1)-(2) (also referred to as “sides 128”) protrudingfrom the bottom 126. The bottom 126, the sides 114(2)-(3), and the sides128 define a receptacle, where a top of the receptacle has a perimeterthat defines an opening of the receptacle to receive items that areplaced within the shelf 124. As shown, first portions of the sides114(2)-(3) may operate as the sides of the basket 110 while secondportions of the sides 114(2)-(3) operate as the sides of the shelf 124.Additionally, the gate 118 may separate the shelf 124 from the basket110.

The shelf 124 may be made of plastic, wood, metal, composites, or anyother material and/or combinations of materials. In some examples, theshelf 124 is made of the same material as the basket 110 while, in otherexamples, the shelf 124 is made of a different material than the basket110.

The mobile apparatus 102 may further include a handlebar module 130 thatis coupled to the main frame 104. The handlebar module 130 may includeone or more sensors (e.g., camera(s), scanner(s), proximity sensor(s),motion sensor(s), etc.), one or more lights, a display 132, and/or anyother type of electronic device. Additionally, and as discussed in moredetail with regard to FIGS. 6-11 , the handlebar module 130 may includean opening for receiving a removable battery that provides power to theelectrical components of the mobile apparatus 102.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus 102 may include a bar 134 that isconfigured to protect one or more components of the mobile apparatus102, such as the handlebar module 130. For instance, and as illustratedby the example of FIGS. 1A-1C, the bar 134 may extend between at leastthe side portions 104(2) of the main frame 104. As such, and in someexamples, the bar 134 may be configured to protect the handlebar module130 by preventing the gate 118 from contacting the handlebar module 130when the gate 118 moves between the first position and the secondposition. Additionally, in some examples, the bar 134 may be configuredto protect the handlebar module 130 by preventing an additional basketof an additional mobile apparatus from contacting the handlebar module130, such as when the mobile apparatuses are nested.

In some examples, the bar 134 may also be configured to help maintain aposition of the gate 118 when the gate 118 is in the first position,which is illustrated by the example of FIGS. 1A-1C. For instance, thebar 134 may act as an upper support, while the feature(s) at the bottomof the gate 118 (which are illustrated in FIG. 3 ) act as bottomsupports, when the gate 118 is in the first position. This may providemore stiffness for the gate 118, which may help protect the basket 112from contacting the main frame 104 when forces are applied to the basket112.

The main frame 104 of the mobile apparatus 102 may be connected to awheel frame 136 that includes components for providing mobility to themobile apparatus 102. For instance, the wheel frame 136 may supportwheel castors 138(1)-(4) (also referred to as “wheel castors 138”) toenable movement of the mobile apparatus 102 along a surface. The wheelcasters 138 may include wheels, axles, forks, joints or other componentswhich enable the mobile apparatus 102 to travel on various surfaces. Forinstance, in some examples each of the wheel casters 138 may include asingle wheel provided on an axle within a fork, or two or more wheelsprovided on such an axle. In some other examples, the wheel casters 138may include two or more axles. Alternatively, in still other examples, asingle caster 138 may be provided in lieu of the multiple wheel casters138.

As further illustrated in the example of FIGS. 1A-1C, the mobileapparatus 102 may include a tray 140(1)-(2) (also referred to as a “tray140”). In some examples, the tray 140 is configured on the mobileapparatus 102 similar to the basket 110. For example, an additionalchassis may be attached to the wheel frame 136. The additional chassismay include any shape, such as an “X” shape, a square, a circle, atriangle, and/or the like, and support one or more sensors of the mobileapparatus 102. For example, the additional chassis may include the “X”shape and support a weight sensor, where loadcell(s) are disposed atvarious location(s) on the additional chassis. In some examples, theadditional chassis is similar to the chassis 108 described herein. Theadditional chassis may further include, and/or support, the tray 140. Insome examples, the tray 140 attaches to the additional chassis such thatthe tray 140 does not contact the wheel frame 136. For example, the tray140 may be attached to the additional chassis such that there is an airgap between the perimeter of the tray 140 and the wheel frame 136.

In the example of FIGS. 1A-1C, the tray 140 may include a bottom havinga given shape (e.g., a quadrilateral shape, a circular shape, atriangular shape, etc.). The tray 140 may also include a separator 142that separates the first portion of the tray 140, which is representedby 140(1), from the second portion of the tray 140, which is representedby 140(2). In some examples, and as shown, the bottom of the tray 140may include a slope and openings such that substances, such as water, donot accumulate on the bottom of the tray 140. The tray may also includedivots, similar to the divots of the basket 110 illustrated in FIG. 2 ,for configuring and/or testing the weight sensor(s) located on theadditional chassis.

As further illustrated in the example of FIGS. 1A-1C, the tray 140 mayinclude lips 144(1)-(3) (also referred to as “lips 144”) that extendabove the wheel frame 136. By including the lips 144, items that areplaced on the tray 144 may be unable to contact the wheel frame 136.This way, all of the weight of the items is measured by the weightsensor(s) located underneath the tray 140.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the mobile apparatus 102, in accordancewith examples of the present disclosure. As shown, the basket 110 isseparated from the main frame 104 by gaps 202(1)-(3) (also referred toas “gaps 202”). For example, at least the first side 114(1) is separatedfrom the main frame 104 by the gap 202(1), the second side 114(2) isseparates from the main frame 104 by the gap 202(2), and the third side114(3) is separated from the main frame 104 by the gap 202(3). Asdescribed herein, a respective gap 202 may include, but is not limitedto, 0.5 inches, 1 inch, 2 inches, and/or any other distance. As will bedescribed in more detail below, the basket 110 may be separated from themain frame 104 in order to prevent the weight sensor(s) from measuringthe weight of objects, such as the user, that contact the main frame 104during normal operation of the mobile apparatus 102.

The bottom 112 of the basket 110 may include spacers 204(1)-(3) (alsoreferred to as “spacers 204”). In some examples, the spacers 204 includemarking (e.g., stickers, colors, etc.) that are configured to indicateto a user where to place item carriers, such as bags, within the basket110. For instance, the spacers 204 may indicate that a first itemcarrier is to be placed at a front-left portion 206(1) of the basket110, a second item carrier is to be placed at a front-right portion206(2) of the basket 110, a third item carrier is to be placed at aback-left portion 206(3) of the basket 110, and/or a fourth item carrieris to be placed at a back-right portion 206(4) of the basket 110.Additionally, or alternatively, in some examples, the spacer 204 mayinclude components, such as grooves or protrusions, that help secure theitem carriers within the basket 110. For instance, the spacers 204 maysecure a first item carrier at the front-left portion 206(1) of thebasket 110, secure a second item carrier at the front-right portion206(2) of the basket 110, secure a third item carrier at the back-leftportion 206(3) of the basket 110, and/or secure a fourth item carrier atthe back-right portion 206(4) of the basket 110. While the example ofFIG. 2 only illustrates three spacers 204 that separate the basket 110into four different portions 206(1)-(4), in other examples, the basket110 may include any number of spacers 204 that separate the basket 110into any number of portions.

In some examples, the bottom 112 of the basket 110 may further includedivots 208(1)-(2) (also referred to as “divots 208”) that are used whencalibrating and/or testing the weight sensor(s) of the mobile apparatus102. For instance, when calibrating and/or testing the weight sensor(s),physical weight(s) may be placed on the divots. The weight sensor(s) maythen generate sensor data representing the total weight within thebasket 110. The mobile apparatus 102 may then be calibrated and/ortested using the total weight of the physical weight(s) placed withinthe basket 110 and the total weight of the weight measured by the weightsensor(s).

FIG. 3 illustrates the gate 118 of the mobile apparatus 102 beingsecured to the basket 110, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure. As shown, the bottom 112 of the basket 110 includes grooves302(1)-(2) (also referred to as “grooves 302”) located at a back portionof the basket 110 and proximate to the gate 118. In the example of FIG.3 , the grooves 302 include a quadrilateral shape. However, in otherexamples, one or more of the grooves 302 may include any other shape,such as a triangular shape, a circular shape, and/or the like.Additionally, the grooves 302 may be configured such that the grooves302 increase in depth from the front sides of the grooves 302 (e.g., theside that is closest to the front of the mobile apparatus 102) to theback sides of the grooves 302 (e.g., the side that is closest to theback of the mobile apparatus 102). Furthermore, the grooves 302 may beconfigured such that the grooves increase in width from the back sidesof the grooves 302 to the front sides of the grooves 302.

The grooves 302 may be configured to secure the gate 118 when the gate118 is in the first position. For instance, and as shown by the exampleof FIG. 3 , the gate 118 may include tabs 304(1)-(2) (also referred toas “tabs 304”) that are configured to slide into the grooves 302 whenthe gate 118 is lowered from the second position to the first position.The tabs include a shape that is configured to cause the gate 118 to besecured, while in the first position, such that the gate 118 is not ableto move side-to-side when in the first position. For example, a width ofthe tabs 304 may be substantially equal to a width of the grooves 302such that the gate 118 cannot move side-to-side. This way, the gate 118will not contact the main frame 104 of the mobile apparats 102 when thegate is in the first position and a force is applied to the sides of thegate 118.

Additionally, based on the shapes of the grooves 302, the gate 118 maystill be configured to move from the first position to the secondposition even when the tabs 304 of the gate 118 are within the grooves302 of the basket 110. This is because the grooves 302 may only beconfigured to prevent the side-to-side movement of the gate 118 (e.g.,movement towards the side 114(2) of the basket 110 and the side 114(3)of the basket 110). However, the grooves 302 do not prevent the bottomof the gate 118 from moving forward, such as towards the side 114(1) ofthe basket 110, when the gate 118 is moving from the first position tothe second position (e.g., the bottom of the gate 118 is still able toswing upwards until the gate 118 is approximately parallel with thebottom 112 of the basket 110).

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate a view of the bottom 112 of the basket 110 of themobile apparatus 102, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure. As shown, the chassis 108 is attached to the bottom portion104(4) below the basket 110. The basket 110 may then be attached to thechassis 108 using fasteners 402(1)-(8) (also referred to as “fasteners402”). In the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the chassis 108 includes an “X”shape. However, in other examples, the chassis 108 may include any othershape.

In the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the basket 110 is attached to the chassis108 using eight fasteners 402 while, in other examples, the basket 110may be attached to the chassis 108 using any number of fasteners 402.Additionally, in the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the fasteners 402(1)-(4)may include a first type of fastener while the fasteners 402(5)-(8)include a second type of fastener. In some examples, the first type offastener may include bolts while the second type of fastener may includeexpansion joints. However, in other examples, the first type of fastenerand/or the second type of fastener may include any other type offastener.

As further illustrated in the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the mobileapparatus 102 may include sensors located between the chassis 108 andthe basket 110 at various sensor locations 404(1)-(4) (also referred toas “sensor locations 404”). For example, a first loadcell associatedwith a weight sensor may be located between the chassis 108 and thebasket 110 at the first sensor location 404(1), a second loadcellassociated with the weight sensor may be located between the chassis 108and the basket 110 at the second sensor location 404(2), a thirdloadcell associated with the weight sensor may be located between thechassis 108 and the basket 110 at the third sensor location 404(3), anda fourth loadcell associated with the weight sensor may be locatedbetween the chassis 108 and the basket 110 at the fourth sensor location404(4). While the example of FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate four differentsensor locations 404 of where sensors may be located between the chassis108 and the basket 110, in other examples, any number of sensors may belocated at any number of sensor locations between the chassis 108 andthe basket 110.

In some examples, the sensors are coupled to plates 406(1)-(2) (alsoreferred to as “plates 406”) associated with the chassis 108. Forexample, a first loadcell located at the first sensor location 404(1)may be coupled to the plate 406(1), a second loadcell located at thesecond sensor location 404(2) may be coupled to the plate 406(1), athird loadcell located at the third sensor location 404(3) may becoupled to the plate 406(2), and a fourth loadcell located at the fourthsensor location 404(4) may be coupled to the plate 406(2). In otherwords, the loadcells are located between the plates 406 associated withthe chassis 108 and the basket 110.

As further illustrated in the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the mobileapparatus 102 may include adjustable components 408(1)-(2) (alsoreferred to as “adjustable components 408”). While the example of FIG.4A only labels two adjustable components 408 for clarity reasons, FIG.4A illustrates the mobile apparatus 102 as including eight adjustablecomponents 408 (e.g., four adjustable components 408 in the front of thechassis 108 and four adjustable components in the back of the chassis108). The adjustable components 408 may be configured to secure thebasket 110 to the chassis 108, after the basket 110 is correctly alignedon the chassis 108, such that the basket 110 does not contact the mainframe 104. In some examples, each adjustable component 408 may includeat least an opening, such as a slot, located on the chassis 108 and ascrew that is disposed through the opening and attached to the basket110. For example, a user may loosen the screw, align the basket 110 ontothe chassis 108 such that the basket 110 does not contact the main frame104, and then tighten the screw in order to “lock” the basket 110 intoposition. While these examples describe the adjustable components 408 asincluding openings and screws, in other examples, the adjustablecomponents 408 may include any other type of component that is capableof securing the basket 110 to the chassis 108. Additionally, while theexample of FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate eight adjustable components 408, inother examples, the mobile apparatus 102 may include any number ofadjustable components 408.

FIG. 4B illustrates locations of openings for wiring the electricalcomponents, such as the sensor(s) (e.g., the weight sensor, theloadcells, etc.) of the mobile apparatus 102. As shown, the main frame104 (e.g., the bottom portion 104(4)) includes four openings 410(1)-(4)(also referred to as “openings 410”) for the wiring. For example, inorder to protect the wiring, the wiring may be placed within the mainframe 104 so that a majority of the wiring is not exposed to the outsideenvironment. As such, in order to attach the wiring to the electricalcomponents, the main frame 104 may include the openings 410 so that thewiring is able to extend from within the main frame 104, to outside ofthe main frame 104, and then to the electrical components. While theexample of FIG. 4B illustrates the main frame 104 as including fouropenings 410, in other examples, the main frame 104 may include anynumber of openings 410.

As further illustrated in the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the chassis 108may include eight openings 412(1)-(8) for wiring the electricalcomponents of the mobile apparatus 102. As shown, the chassis 108include two openings 412(1)-(2) located proximate to the third sensorlocation 404(3), two openings 412(3)-(4) located proximate to the fourthsensor location 404(4), two openings 412(5)-(6) located proximate to thefirst sensor location 404(1), and two openings 412(7)-(8) locatedproximate to the second sensor location 404(2). While the example ofFIGS. 4A-4B illustrate the chassis 108 as including eight openings 412,in other examples, the chassis 108 may include any number of openings412. Additionally, while the example of FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate thechassis 108 as including two respective openings 412 located proximateto each sensor location 404, in other examples, the chassis 108 mayinclude any number of sensor openings located proximate to each sensorlocation 404.

In some examples, the openings 412 allow for electrically connecting theloadcells of the weight sensor to the components included in thehandlebar module 130. For example, the opening 412(1) and/or the opening412(6) may allow for wiring to electrically connect the sensor that islocated at the sensor location 404(1) to the components included in thehandlebar module 130. For the wiring, the wires that are connected tothe sensor may enter the main frame 104(1) through the opening 412(1)and/or the opening 412(6), extend through the main frame 104(1) to alocation that is proximate to the handlebar module 130, and then connectto the components of the handlebar module 130. Similar wiringconnections may be used to then connected each of the other sensors tothe handlebar module 130 using the other openings 410 of the main frame104(1).

FIG. 5 illustrate another view of the bottom 112 of the basket 110, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure. As shown, underneaththe bottom of the basket 112 may include a protector component 502 thatprotects the mobile apparatus 102 (e.g., the weight sensor(s)) whenforces are applied to the basket 112. For instance, and in the exampleof FIG. 5 , the protector component 502 includes a washer and nut, wherethe mobile apparatus 102 is configured to include a clearance betweenthe washer and the chassis 108 (e.g., frame places of the chassis 108).When a force is applied upward onto the basket 112 (e.g., in thez-direction), such that the basket 112 flexes up, the clearance isclosed in order to protect the basket 112 and the sensor(s). While theexample of FIG. 5 only illustrates a single protector component 502, inother examples, the mobile apparatus 102 may have more than one of theseprotector components.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus 102 may include one or moreadditional components that help protect the mobile apparatus 102 fromforces. For example, the chassis 108, such as the plate of the chassis108, may include pin(s) that extend through hole(s) in the main frame104. These pin(s) are then configured to prevent lateral movement (e.g.,in the x-direction and the y-direction) of the basket 112, such as whenforces are applied to the sides 114(1)-(3) of the basket 112. Forinstance, the pin(s) may contact the side(s) of the hole(s) when forcesare applied to the sides 114(1)-(3) of the basket 112, where thecontacting of the side(s) prevents the further movement of the basket112 in the lateral direction.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a battery 602 of the mobile apparatus102, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure. As shown,the battery 602 may include a substantially cuboid shape that includes atop surface 604(1), a bottom surface 604(2), and four side surfaces604(3)-(6). However, in other examples, the battery 602 may include adifferent shape, such as a cube, a cylinder, and/or the like. Theexample of FIG. 6 illustrates that the battery 602 may include anelectrical connector 606 for electrically connecting the battery 602 tothe mobile apparatus 102 and/or electrically connecting the battery 602to an electrical component that recharges the battery 602. Additionally,the battery 602 may include cavities 608(1)-(3) (also referred to as“cavities 608”). As will be discussed further with regard to FIG. 9 ,the cavities 608 may be used to lock the battery 602 into position whenthe battery 602 is installed in the mobile apparatus 102. While theexample of FIG. 6 illustrates the battery 602 as including threecavities 608, in other examples, the battery 602 may include any numberof cavities.

Additionally, the example of FIG. 6 illustrates that the battery 602 mayinclude a rail features 610 that helps guide the battery 602 into anopening of the handlebar module 130 when the battery 602 is insertedinto the handlebar module 130. For instance, FIG. 7 illustrates anexample of a rail system for guiding the battery 602 into the opening ofthe mobile apparatus 102 during installation of the battery 602, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure. As shown, a railfeature 702(1) (as well as a rail feature 702(2) that guides the otherside of the battery 602) that may be located within the opening of thehandlebar module 130 may insert into the rail feature 610 of the battery602. Based on the shape of the rail feature 702(1) and the shape of therail feature 610, the rail feature 702(1) may guide the battery 602 intothe opening. Additionally, and during the installation, the battery 602may lock into position.

In some examples, the rail feature 610 and the rail feature 702(1) maybe configured to protect the battery 602 from being installedimproperly. For instance, FIG. 8A illustrates an example of preventingthe battery 602 from being installed improperly, in accordance withexamples of the present disclosure. As shown, the rail feature 702(1)may include a connector 802 that is configured to insert into a cavity804 of the rail feature 610 when the battery 602 is inserted improperlyinto the opening. In some examples, the inserting of the connector 802into the cavity 804 prevents the battery 602 from being fully insertedinto the opening. This may be designed in order to polarize theinstallation of the battery 602, which may protect the electricalconnector 606 of the battery 602 and/or the electrical connector of themobile apparatus 102 that connects to the electrical connector 606.

FIG. 8B illustrates an example of inserting the battery 602 properly, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure. As discussed herein,the rail feature 610 and the real feature 702(1) may be configured toguide the battery 602, such as when the battery 602 is being insertedinto an opening of the mobile apparatus 102 during installation of thebattery 602. As such, when the battery 602 is properly inserted into theopening, the rail feature 702(1) may completely engage with the railfeature 610 in order to secure the battery 602 within the opening.Additionally, and as illustrated in the example of FIG. 8B, theconnector 802 may insert into a cavity 806 of the rail feature 610,which helps secure the battery 602 within the opening.

Also, as discussed above, the cavities 608 may be used to lock thebattery 602 into position. For instance, FIG. 9 illustrates an exampleof locking the battery 602 within the mobile apparatus 102, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure. As shown, thebattery 602 is inserted into an opening 902 of the handlebar compartment126 (where the opening 902 is further illustrated in FIG. 10 ). As alsoshown, the handlebar module 130 may include a prong 904 that isconfigured to insert into the cavity 608(1) of the battery 602 when thebattery 602 is inserted into the opening 902. In some examples, theprong 904 may include a spring-loaded ram. While the example of FIG. 9illustrates only prong 904 inserting into a single cavity 608(1), inother examples, the handlebar module 130 includes multiple prongs thatinsert into the cavities 608.

By using the prong to secure the battery 602 within the opening 902, thelatching system may be configured to offload impact forces from thelatching system directly to the mobile apparatus 102. This may helpprotect the battery 602 during installation, during removal, and/orduring normal operation of the mobile apparatus 102.

In some examples, the mobile apparatus 102 may be configured such thatthe battery 602 is removed and/or installed at an angle. For instance,FIG. 10 illustrates an example of removing the battery 602 from themobile apparatus 102, in accordance with examples of the presentdisclosure. As shown, the battery 602 is removed from the opening 902 ofthe handlebar module 130 at an angle 1002 with respect to the horizontalplane. In some examples, allowing the battery 602 to be removed and/orinstalled at the angle 1002 allows for easier access to the battery 602,such as when the mobile apparatus 102 is “nested” with other mobileapparatus(es).

In some examples, and as illustrated by a curved arrow 1004, the railsystem associated with the battery 602 also allows for the battery 602to pivot when the battery 602 is removed and/or inserted into theopening 902 of the handlebar module 130. Similar to the angle 1002 atwhich the battery 602 is inserted and/or removed, allowing the battery602 to pivot may also allow for easier access to the battery 602, suchas when the mobile apparatus 102 is “nested” with other mobileapparatus(es).

In some examples, the battery 602 may be configured to lock into placewithin the opening 902 of the handlebar module 130. For instance, FIG.11 illustrates an example of a locking mechanism for the battery, inaccordance with examples of the present disclosure. As shown, thelocking mechanism may include an opening 1102 that is located betweenthe battery 602 and a portion of the handlebar module 130. Pins 1104 maybe located at least partially within the opening 1102, where the pins1104 are configured to prevent entry to lifters within the handlebarcompartment 126 that lift the prongs (e.g., the prong 904). As such, andas also illustrated by the example of FIG. 11 , a key 1106 may bedesigned such that the key 1106 passes through the pins 1104 and to thelifters for the prongs.

For instance, the key 1106 may include indentations 1108(1)-(2) (alsoreferred to as “indentations 1108”) that allow the pins 1104 to passthrough the key 1106 when the key 1106 is inserted into the opening1102. This way, the key 1106 is able to access the lifters for theprongs, where the lifters cause the prongs to lift out of the cavities608 of the battery 602. When the prongs are lifted out of the cavities608, the battery 602 may be removed from the opening 902 of thehandlebar module 130.

FIG. 12 illustrates example components of the handlebar module 130configured to support at least a portion of the functionality of an itemmanagement system. The handlebar module 130 may include one or morehardware processors 1202 (processors) configured to execute one or morestored instructions. The processor(s) 1202 may comprise one or morecores. The handlebar module 130 may include one or more input/output(I/O) interface(s) 1204 to allow the processor(s) 1202 or other portionsof the handlebar module 130 to communicate with other devices. The I/Ointerface(s) 1204 may comprise Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), SerialPeripheral Interface bus (SPI), Universal Serial Bus (USB) aspromulgated by the USB Implementers Forum, and so forth. The I/Ointerface(s) 1204 may allow the various modules/components tocommunicate with each other and/or control each other.

The handlebar module 130 may also include one or more communicationinterfaces 1206. The communication interface(s) 1206 are configured toprovide communications between the handlebar module 130 and otherdevices, such as the server(s), sensors, interface devices, routers, andso forth. The communication interface(s) 1206 may include devicesconfigured to couple to personal area networks (PANs), wired andwireless local area networks (LANs), wired and wireless wide areanetworks (WANs), and so forth. For example, the communication interfaces1206 may include devices compatible with Ethernet, Wi-Fi™, and so forth.The handlebar module 130 may also include one or more busses or otherinternal communications hardware or software that allow for the transferof data between the various modules and components of the handlebarmodule 130.

The handlebar module 130 may also include the one or more captureassemblies 1208 that each include one or more sensors 1210, a camera1212, and one or more LEDs 1214. In some examples, the sensor(s) 1210may comprise any type of sensor that is able to detect the presence ofnearby objects without the need for physical contact (e.g., ToFsensor(s), PIR sensor(s), capacitive sensor(s), etc.). The cameras 1212in each of the capture assemblies 1208 may comprise any type of cameraor imaging device configured to generate image data (and/or video data),or information descriptive of a plurality of picture elements or pixels.The LED(s) 1214 may be selectively activated to emit light at anywavelength, visible or non-visible to users. In some examples, one ormore capture assemblies 1208 may additionally, or alternatively, befacing downward into the basket 110 of the handlebar module 130.Additionally, the handlebar module 130 may include one or more cameras1212 that are outward facing in that generate image data representingthe facility around the handlebar module 130.

The handlebar module 130 may include one or more power supply(ies) 1216to provide power to the components of the handlebar module 130, such asa battery pack module 1218 (e.g., the battery 602), which include one ormore batteries 1220. The power supply(ies) 1216 may also include asecondary (e.g., internal) power supply 1222 to allow for hot swappingof battery pack modules 1218, such as one or more capacitors, internalbatteries, etc.

The handlebar module 130 may also include the display 122 configured todisplay content represented by image data, such as pictures, videos,user interface elements, and/or any other image data. The display 122may comprise any type of display 122, and may further be a touch screento receive touch input from a user. The handlebar module 130 may alsoinclude one or more microphones 1224 and one or more loudspeakers 1226to facilitate a dialogue with a user, and/or to receive feedback fromthe user. The microphone(s) 1224 may capture sound representing theuser's speech, and the loudspeaker(s) 1226 may output machine-generatedwords to facilitate a dialogue, prompt a user for feedback on an itemand/or for other information, and/or output other alerts ornotifications.

The handlebar module 130 may also include other types of sensor(s) 1228.As described herein, these sensor(s) may proximity sensor(s), lightsensor(s), and/or the like.

The handlebar module 130 may include one or more memories 1230 (e.g., inan electronics box module along with the processor(s) 1202). The memory1230 comprises one or more computer-readable storage media (CRSM). TheCRSM may be any one or more of an electronic storage medium, a magneticstorage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, amechanical computer storage medium, and so forth. The memory 1230provides storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures,program modules, and other data for the operation of the handlebarmodule 130. Examples of operations that may be performed by thehandlebar module 130 are described with respect to FIG. 13 .

FIG. 13 illustrates example components of the mobile apparatus 102configured to support at least a portion of the functionality of an itemmanagement system. The mobile apparatus 102 may include one or morehardware processors 1302 (processors) (which may represent, and/orinclude, the processor(s) 1202) configured to execute one or more storedinstructions. The processor(s) 1302 may comprise one or more cores. Themobile apparatus 102 may include one or more I/O interface(s) 1304(which may represent, and/or include, the I/O interface(s) 1202) toallow the processor(s) 1302 or other portions of the mobile apparatus102 to communicate with other devices. The I/O interface(s) 1304 maycomprise Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Serial Peripheral Interface bus(SPI), Universal Serial Bus (USB) as promulgated by the USB ImplementersForum, and so forth. The I/O interface(s) 1304 may allow the variousmodules/components to communicate with each other and/or control eachother.

The mobile apparatus 102 may also include one or more communicationinterfaces 1306 (which may represent, and/or include, the communicationinterface(s) 1206). The communication interface(s) 1306 are configuredto provide communications between the mobile apparatus 102 and otherdevices, such as the server(s), sensors, interface devices, routers, andso forth. The communication interface(s) 1306 may include devicesconfigured to couple to personal area networks (PANs), wired andwireless local area networks (LANs), wired and wireless wide areanetworks (WANs), and so forth. For example, the communication interfaces1306 may include devices compatible with Ethernet, Wi-Fi™, and so forth.The mobile apparatus 102 may also include one or more busses or otherinternal communications hardware or software that allow for the transferof data between the various modules and components of the mobileapparatus 102.

The mobile apparatus 102 may also include the one or more captureassemblies 1308 (which may represent, and/or include, the one or morecapture assemblies 1208) that each include one or more sensors 1310, acamera 1312, and one or more LEDs 1314. In some examples, the sensor(s)1310 may comprise any type of sensor that is able to detect the presenceof nearby objects without the need for physical contact (e.g., ToFsensor(s), PIR sensor(s), capacitive sensor(s), etc.). The cameras 1312in each of the capture assemblies 1308 may comprise any type of cameraor imaging device configured to generate image data (and/or video data),or information descriptive of a plurality of picture elements or pixels.The LED(s) 1314 may be selectively activated to emit light at anywavelength, visible or non-visible to users. In some examples, one ormore capture assemblies 1308 may additionally, or alternatively, befacing downward into the basket 110 of the mobile apparatus 102.Additionally, the mobile apparatus 102 may include one or more cameras1312 that are outward facing in that generate image data representingthe facility around the mobile apparatus 102.

The mobile apparatus 102 may include one or more power supply(ies) 1316to provide power to the components of the mobile apparatus 102, such asa battery pack module 1318 (e.g., the battery 602), which include one ormore batteries 1320. The power supply(ies) 1316 may also include asecondary (e.g., internal) power supply 1322 to allow for hot swappingof battery pack modules 1318, such as one or more capacitors, internalbatteries, etc.

The mobile apparatus 102 may also include the display 132 configured todisplay content represented by image data, such as pictures, videos,user interface elements, and/or any other image data. The display 132may comprise any type of display 132, and may further be a touch screento receive touch input from a user. The mobile apparatus 102 may alsoinclude one or more microphones 1324 (which may represent, and/orinclude, the microphone(s) 1224) and one or more loudspeakers 1326(which may represent, and/or include, the loudspeaker(s) 1226) tofacilitate a dialogue with a user, and/or to receive feedback from theuser. The microphone(s) 1324 may capture sound representing the user'sspeech, and the loudspeaker(s) 1326 may output machine-generated wordsto facilitate a dialogue, prompt a user for feedback on an item and/orfor other information, and/or output other alerts or notifications.

The mobile apparatus 102 may also include other types of sensor(s) 1328(which may represent, and/or include, the sensor(s) 1228). As describedherein, these sensor(s) may include weight sensor(s) with loadcell(s),where, in some examples, the loadcell(s) are located between the basket110 and the chassis 108.

The mobile apparatus 102 may include one or more memories 1330 (whichmay represent, and/or include, the memory 1220). The memory 1330comprises one or more computer-readable storage media (CRSM). The CRSMmay be any one or more of an electronic storage medium, a magneticstorage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, amechanical computer storage medium, and so forth. The memory 1330provides storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures,program modules, and other data for the operation of the mobileapparatus 102. A few example functional modules are shown stored in thememory 1330, although the same functionality may alternatively beimplemented in hardware, firmware, or as a system on a chip (SOC).

The memory 1330 may include at least one operating system (OS) component1332. The OS component 1332 is configured to manage hardware resourcedevices such as the I/O interface(s) 1304, the communicationinterface(s) 1306, and provide various services to applications orcomponents executing on the processor(s) 1302. The OS component 1332 mayimplement a variant of the FreeBSD™ operating system as promulgated bythe FreeBSD Project; other UNIX™ or UNIX-like variants; a variation ofthe Linux™ operating system as promulgated by Linus Torvalds; theWindows® Server operating system from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,Wash., USA; and so forth.

One or more of the following components may also be stored in the memory1330. These components may be executed as foreground applications,background tasks, daemons, and so forth. A communication component 1334may be configured to establish communications with one or more of thesensors, one or more of the servers, or other devices. Thecommunications may be authenticated, encrypted, and so forth.

The memory 1330 may further store a cart management system 1336. Thecart management system 1336 is configured to provide theitem-identifying functions (and other functions) provided by the mobileapparatus 102 as described herein. For example, the cart managementsystem 1336 may be configured to detect items, identify items, andmaintain a virtual shopping cart for a user of the mobile apparatus 102.

The cart management system 1336 may include a user-activation component1338 that performs operations for activating a shopping session usingthe mobile apparatus 102 on behalf of a user. For instance, a user mayhave previously registered for a user account with an operator of thefacility to utilize various automated management services provided by anoperator of the facility. The user may have registered for a useraccount, such as by providing user data 1340, to automate payments madefor items taken by the user and included a payment means (e.g., creditcard, bank account number, etc.), and may have also provided anidentification means in the user data 1340 to the user-activationcomponent 1338 such that the mobile apparatus 102 can recognize theuser. For instance, the user may have registered to identify themselvesto the mobile apparatus 102 using any identification technique by theuser-activation component 1338, such as by providing the user data 1340by presenting an identification means to a camera/scanner 1312 (e.g.,presenting a driver's license, presenting a facility-issued card,presenting a user identifier via a mobile phone, etc.), and/or speakinga predefined utterance that is captured by the microphone(s) 1324 (e.g.,a name of the user, a predefined keyword, etc.). Once a user hasidentified themselves using the user-activation component 1338, theuser-activation component 1338 may open a shopping session where themobile apparatus 102 identifies and track items retrieved by the userand placed in the mobile apparatus 102.

The cart management system 1336 may additionally include anactivity-detection component 1342 configured to detect items (orobjects) within a particular proximity to the mobile apparatus 102. Forexample, the capacitive sensor(s) 1328 may generate sensor data 1344.The activity-detection component 1342 may then analyze the sensor data1344 in order to determine a capacitance detected by the capacitivesensor(s) 1328. Additionally, the activity-detection component 1342 mayuse the capacitance to perform one or more of the processes describedherein to detect the presence of a user. For example, theactivity-detection component 1342 may use the capacitance to determineif the user is located proximate to the mobile apparatus 102, the useris located over the perimeter of the mobile apparatus 102, determine ifthe user is located within the opening of the mobile apparatus 102,determine if the user is in contact with the cart, and/or the like.

The cart management system 1336 may further include a strobing component1346 configured to cause the LED(s) 1314 and/or shutters of thecamera(s) 1312 to strobe according to different frequencies. As notedabove, the LED(s) 1314 may emit light in any light spectrum (e.g.,infrared, near infrared, visible, etc.). However, some items may havetext and/or other marking printed thereon using dye-based color inksthat have diminished and/or similar near infrared (NIR) absorbance. Thismay lead to compromised contrast between, and essentially “washing out”of many distinct features in the visible spectrum when viewed in NIR.Accordingly, in some examples it may be advantageous to cause the LED(s)1314 to emit light in the visible spectrum. When generating image data1348 using camera(s) 1312, motion blur may appear when capturing fastmoving objects. However, the motion blur may be reduced or eliminated byexposing the camera(s) 1312 imager for a short (e.g., sub-millisecond)durations. Accordingly, the strobing component 1346 may strobe theopening and closing of shutters of the camera(s) 1312 to limit thesensor exposure duration. Additionally, the strobing component 1346 maycause the LEDs 1314 to emit/strobe light at a particular frequency.

The cart management system 1336 may also include an item-identificationcomponent 1350 configured to analyze image data 1348 to identify an itemrepresented in the image data 1348. The image data 1348 may compriseinformation descriptive of a plurality of picture elements, or pixels,for one or more image frames (e.g., a still picture, multiple pictureframes, video frames, etc.). The item-identification component 1350 mayanalyze the image data 1348 using various image processing techniques,or computer vision techniques. For instance, the item-identificationcomponent 1350 may extract a representation of an item depicted in theimage data 1348 generated by at least one of the camera(s) 1312. Therepresentation may include identifying text printed on the item, colorsor color schemes printed on the item, 2-D and/or 3D shapes of the item,and/or other techniques for extract a representation of the item. Insome instances, the representation of the item depicted in the imagedata 1348 may comprise a numeric representation, such as a featurevector or a set of feature vectors.

In some examples, a data store 1352 stored in the memory 1330 mayinclude item data 1354, which may include representations of the itemsoffered for acquisition at the facility. The item-identificationcomponent 1350 may compare the extracted represented of the item withthe “gallery” or stored representations of the known items in the itemdata 1354. In some instance, the item representation may include anindication of a barcode or SKU data for the item as recognized in, orextracted from, the image data 1348. The item-identification component1350 may determine confidence level data 1356 based on the comparisonswith item representation in the item data 1354. The item-identificationcomponent 1350 may determine, and assign, confidence levels indicatinghow likely it is that the item represented in the image data 1348corresponds to an item from the item gallery in the item data 1354.Based on the confidence level data 1356, the item-identificationcomponent 1350 may determine an item identifier 1358 for the item in theimage data 1348 (or multiple item identifiers 1358) that corresponds toan item in the item data 1354 to which the item corresponds.

In some examples, the data store 1352 may include physical-layout data1360 that is used by the item-identification component 1350 to determinethe item. The physical-layout data 1360 may include or provide a mappingof physical locations within the physical layout of devices and objectssuch that the location of the mobile apparatus 102 may be utilized todetermine an item stored nearby. The physical-layout data 1360 mayindicate the coordinates within the facility of an inventory location,items stored at that inventory location, and so forth. In examples wherethe mobile apparatus 102 has location determining sensors (e.g., GPS,RFID, proximity, etc.), the location sensor data may be used todetermine where in the store the user is located. In such examples, theitem-identification component 1350 may access the physical-layout data1360 to determine if a location associated with the event is associatedwith a location, and confidence levels for the correspondingrepresentations of items in the item data 1354. Continuing the exampleabove, given the location within the facility of the event and imagecamera data, the physical-layout data 1360 may determine the items thatmay have been represented in generated images of the event.

The cart management system 1336 may further include anevent-determination component 1362 to determine event-description data1364 for the item in the image data 1348. The event-determinationcomponent 1362 may determine if the user is adding an item to the mobileapparatus 102, removing the item from the mobile apparatus 102, etc.,based on movement of the item and/or whether the item is shown in theimage data 1348. For instance, if the item is shown as being moveddownward towards the interior of the mobile apparatus 102, and theuser's hand then leaves the basket without the item, it can bedetermined that the user added the item to the mobile apparatus 102.Similarly, if the user's hand moves into the cart without an item, andis depicted in the image data 1348 taking an item from the cart, theevent-determination component 1362 may determine that the user removedan item from the mobile apparatus 102.

The cart management system 1336 may also include a virtual-cartmanagement component 1366 configured to manage virtual shopping cartdata 1368 for the mobile apparatus 102. For instance, the virtual-cartmanagement component 1366 may utilize the item data 1354,event-description data 1364, and confidence level data 1356 to add itemidentifier(s) 1358 to the virtual shopping cart data 1368 for items thatwere added to the mobile apparatus 102, remove item identifier(s) 1358from the virtual shopping cart data 1368 for items that were removedfrom the mobile apparatus 102, and track item quantity data 1370indicating quantities of particular items in the mobile apparatus 102.

The cart management system 1336 may further include a user-interfacecomponent 1372 configured to present user interfaces on the display 226based on user-interface data 1374. The user interfaces may include oneor more fields to present data, and/or receive touch input (or otherinput via a keyboard, mouse, etc.) from a user. For instance, if theitem-identification component 1350 is unable to determine an itemidentifier 1358 for an item shown in the image data 1348, theuser-interface component 1372 may receive inquiry data 1376 generated byan inquiry component 1378 to prompt a user for feedback to help identifythe item, and/or other information (e.g., if multiple items were placedin the mobile apparatus 102). The inquiry component 1378 may beconfigured to generate inquiry data 1376 based on the information neededto identify the item. For instance, the inquiry data 1376 may include aprompt to request particular feedback from the user, such as to provideinput (e.g., touch input, vocal/utterance input, etc.) to identify theitem, input to indicate how many items were added to the mobileapparatus 102, input to indicate whether an item was removed or added,etc. In some examples, the user-interface component 1372 may present oneor more images depicting items from the item data 1354 that have thehighest confidence levels as corresponding to the item 126 in the imagedata 1348, but confidence levels that are not high enough to make afinal decision as to the item. For instance, the user-interfacecomponent 1372 may present pictures of two different items that havehigh confidence levels and request that the user select or indicate theappropriate item. Additionally, or alternatively, the user-interfacecomponent 1372 may present user-interface data 1374 that prompts theuser for feedback regarding whether or not the item was added to, orremoved from the mobile apparatus 102. The user-interface component 1372may then receive response data 1380 representing a selection of an item.

In some examples, the cart management system 1336 may further include alocating component 1382 configured to determine locations of the mobileapparatus 102 in the facility. For instance, the locating component 1382may analyze sensor data 1344 collected by sensors of the mobileapparatus 102 to determine a location. In some examples, thecommunication interface(s) 1306 may include network interfaces thatconfigured the mobile apparatus 102 to receive or detect wirelesssignals (e.g., WiFi signals, Bluetooth signals, etc.) and generatesensor data 1344 indicative of the signals. The locating component 1382may analyze the sensor data 1344 using various techniques to identifythe location of the mobile apparatus 102, such as WiFi triangulation,received signal strength indicators (RSSI), and/or other methods foranalyzing wireless signals to determine a location of the mobileapparatus 102. In some instances, the facility may include variousinfrared (IR) or near-IR emitters at different locations that emit lightaccording to frequencies, patterns, etc. that indicate the differentlocations in the facility. In such examples, the mobile apparatus 102may include a light sensor to generate the sensor data 1344 representingthe IR or NIR and determine the location of the mobile apparatus 102 inthe facility. In some instances, there may be visible landmarks ormarkers throughout the facility that indicate a location in thefacility, and the locating component 1382 may analyze image data 1348generated by an outward facing camera 1312 to determine a location ofthe mobile apparatus 102. As another example, there may be various radiofrequency (RF) emitters positioned throughout the store, and the mobileapparatus 102 may include an RF receiver to allow the locating component1382 to perform IR beaconing to determine the location of the mobileapparatus 102. The locating component 1382 may perform one, or anycombination, of the above techniques to determine a location of themobile apparatus 102 in the facility and/or any other technique known inthe art.

The locating component 1382 may perform various operations based ondetermining the location of the mobile apparatus 102 within thefacility. For instance, the locating component 1382 may causeuser-interface data 1374 to be presented on the display 226 thatincludes a map of the facility and/or directions to an item for the userof the mobile apparatus 102. Additionally, or alternatively, thelocating component 1382 may utilize the location of the cart, thephysical-layout data 1360, and/or item data 1354 and “push” userinterfaces to the display 226 that indicate various location-basedinformation, such as indications of deals for items located nearby,indications of items located nearby and on the user's shopping list,and/or other user-interface data 1374.

As further illustrated in the example of FIG. 13 , the mobile apparatus102 may include a weight component 1384 that is configured to determineweight(s) of item(s) located within the basket 110, located within theshelf 124, and/or located on the tray 140. For a first example, theweight component 1384 may receive sensor data 1344 generated bysensor(s) 1328, where the sensor(s) 1328 include the loadcell(s) of theweight sensor associated with the basket 110. The weight component 1384may then be configured to analyze the sensor data 1344 in order todetermine a weight associated with the basket 110 (and/or the shelf124). For example, the weight component 1384 may be configured toanalyze the sensor data 1344 in order to determine the respective weightmeasured by each of the loadcell(s). When the weight sensor includesmore than one loadcell, the weight component 1384 may then be configuredto determine the weight associated with the basket 110 (and/or the shelf124) using the determined weights. For example, the weight sensor maydetermine the weight associated with the basket 110 (and/or the shelf124) by adding each of the determined weights together.

For a second example, the weight component 1384 may receive sensor data1344 generated by sensor(s) 1328, where the sensor(s) 1328 include theloadcell(s) of the weight sensor associated with the tray 140. Theweight component 1384 may then be configured to analyze the sensor data1344 in order to determine a weight associated with the tray. Forexample, the weight component 1384 may be configured to analyze thesensor data 1344 in order to determine the respective weight measured byeach of the loadcell(s). Again, when the weight sensor includes morethan one loadcell, the weight component 1384 may then be configured todetermine the weight associated with the tray 140 using the determinedweights. For example, the weight sensor may determine the weightassociated with the tray 140 by adding each of the determined weightstogether.

The weight component 1384 may use these weights to determine the weightof the item placed within the basket 110, located within the shelf 124,and/or located on the tray 140. For example, the weight component 1384may perform the processes above in order to determine a first weightassociated with the basket 110 (and/or the shelf 124) at a first time.The weight component 1384 may then perform the processes above in orderto determine a second weight associated with the basket 110 (and/or theshelf 124) at a second, later time. In some examples, the weightcomponent 1384 receives the sensor data 1344 and/or determines theweights at the elapse of given time periods (e.g., every second, twoseconds, five seconds, etc.). In some examples, the weight component1384 receives the sensor data 1344 and/or determines the weights basedon detecting that an item has been placed within the basket 110 (and/orthe shelf 124), such as based on the output from the activity-detectioncomponent 1342, the item-identification component 1350, and/or theevent-determination component 1362. In either example, the weightcomponent 1384 may use the first weight and the second weight todetermine the weight of the item.

For example, the weight component 1384 may determine whether the secondweight is greater than the first weight. If the weight component 1384determines that the second weight substantially equal to the firstweight, then the weight component 1384 may determine that a new item hasnot been placed within the basket 110 (and/or the shelf 124). However,if the weight component 1384 determines that the second weight greaterthan the first weight, then the weight component 1384 may determine thata new item has been placed within the basket 110 (and/or the shelf 124).In some examples, the weight component 1384 may then determine theweight of the item using the weights, such as by taking the differencebetween the second weight and the first weight.

Additionally, or alternatively, in some examples, the weight component1384 may use the first weight and the second weight to determine that anitem has been removed from the basket 110 (and/or the shelf 124). Forexample, the weight component 1384 may determine that the second weightis less than the first weight. Based on the determination, the weightcomponent 1384 may determine that an item has been removed from thebasket 110 (and/or the shelf 124). In some examples, the weightcomponent 1384 may then determine the weight of the item using theweights, such as by taking the difference between the first weight andthe second weight. Additionally, if the mobile apparatus 102 alreadyknows the weights of each of the items, the mobile apparatus 102 maydetermine which item was removed by matching the weight of the itemremoved to the weight of one of the items within the basket 110 (and/orthe shelf 124).

While the examples above describe determining the weights of itemsplaced within and/or removed from the basket 110 (and/or the shelf 124),in other examples, the weight component 1384 may perform similarprocesses to determine the weights of items placed on the tray 140.

In some examples, the virtual-cart management component 1306 may beconfigured to generate item weight data 1386 representing the weight ofthe items, which the virtual-cart management component 1306 may store aspart of the virtual shopping cart data 1368. Additionally, in someexamples, the item data 1354 may represent the price per unit weight ofcertain items within the facility. In such examples, the virtual-cartmanagement component 1366 may be configured to use the item weight data1386 and the item data 1354 in order to determine the price of such anitem that is placed within the basket 110, the shelf 124, and/or on thetray 140. The mobile apparatus 102 may then be configured to provide theprice of the item to the user, such as using the display 132.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram 1400 of an example materials handlingfacility 1402 (also referred to the “facility 1402”) that includes cartsand an item management system configured to generate output regardingevents occurring in the cart using sensor data. However, the followingdescription is merely one illustrative example of an industry andenvironment in which the techniques described herein may be utilized.

An example of the facility 1402 configured to store and manage inventoryitems is illustrated in FIG. 14 . The facility 1402 comprises one ormore physical structures or areas within which one or more items1404(1), 1404(2), . . . , 1404(Q) (generally denoted as 1404) may beheld. As used in this disclosure, letters in parenthesis such as “(Q)”indicate an integer result. The items 1404 comprise physical goods, suchas books, pharmaceuticals, repair parts, electronic gear, groceries, andso forth.

The facility 1402 may include one or more areas designated for differentfunctions with regard to inventory handling. In this illustration, thefacility 1402 includes a receiving area 1406, a storage area 1408, and atransition area 1410. The receiving area 1406 may be configured toaccept items 1404, such as from suppliers, for intake into the facility1402. For example, the receiving area 1406 may include a loading dock atwhich trucks or other freight conveyances unload the items 1404.

The storage area 1408 is configured to store the items 1404. The storagearea 1408 may be arranged in various physical configurations. In oneexample, the storage area 1408 may include one or more aisles 1412. Theaisles 1412 may be configured with, or defined by, inventory locations1414 on one or both sides of the aisle 1412. The inventory locations1414 may include one or more of shelves, racks, cases, cabinets, bins,floor locations, or other suitable storage mechanisms for holding orstoring the items 1404. The inventory locations 1414 may be affixed tothe floor or another portion of the facility's structure, or may bemovable such that the arrangements of aisles 1412 may be reconfigurable.In some examples, the inventory locations 1414 may be configured to moveindependently of an outside operator. For example, the inventorylocations 1414 may comprise a rack with a power source and a motor,operable by a computing device to allow the rack to move from onelocation within the facility 1402 to another.

One or more users 1416(1), . . . , 1416(U), carts 1418(1), . . . ,1418(T) (generally denoted as 1418) or other material handling apparatusmay move within the facility 1402. For example, the users 1416 may moveabout within the facility 1402 to pick or place the items 1404 invarious inventory locations 1414, placing them on the carts 1418 forease of transport. An individual cart 1418 is configured to carry orotherwise transport one or more items 1404. For example, a cart 1418 mayinclude a basket, a cart, a bag, and so forth. In other examples, otheragencies such as robots, forklifts, cranes, aerial drones, and so forth,may move about the facility 1402 picking, placing, or otherwise movingthe items 1404.

One or more sensors may be configured to acquire information in thefacility 1402. The sensors in the facility 1402 may include sensorsfixed in the environment (e.g., ceiling-mounted cameras) or otherwise,such as sensors in the possession of users (e.g., mobile phones,tablets, etc.) or sensors mounted on the carts 1418. The sensors mayinclude, but are not limited to, cameras, weight sensors (e.g., in thebottom of the carts 1418), radio frequency (RF) receivers, temperaturesensors, humidity sensors, vibration sensors, and so forth. The sensorsmay be, in some examples, in or on the cart 1418 or another location inthe facility 1402. In one example, the bottom of a basket of the carts1418 may include weight sensors configured to determine a weight of theitems 1404 placed thereupon.

During operation of the facility 1402, the sensors may be configured toprovide information suitable for identifying the movement of items 1404or other occurrences within the cart 1418. For example, a series ofimages acquired by a camera may indicate removal of an item 1404 from aparticular cart 1418 by one of the users 1416 and/or placement of theitem 1404 on or at least partially within one of the carts 1418.

While the storage area 1408 is depicted as having one or more aisles1412, inventory locations 1414 storing the items 1404, sensors, and soforth, it is understood that the receiving area 1406, the transitionarea 1410, or other areas of the facility 1402 may be similarlyequipped. Furthermore, the arrangement of the various areas within thefacility 1402 is depicted functionally rather than schematically. Forexample, multiple different receiving areas 1406, storage areas 1408,and transition areas 1410 may be interspersed rather than segregated inthe facility 1402.

The carts 1418 and/or the inventory location 1414 may include, or becoupled to, an item management system 1420. The item management system1420 is configured to identify interactions with and between users 1416,carts 1418, and/or the inventory location 1414, in one or more of thereceiving area 1406, the storage area 1408, or the transition area 1410.These interactions may include one or more events 1424. For example,events 1424 may include placing of an item 1404 in a cart 1418,returning of an item 1404 from the cart 1418 to an inventory location1414, placing an item 1404 on the inventory location 1414, removing anitem 1404 from the inventory location 1414, and/or any of the otherevents described herein. Other events 1424 involving users 1416 mayinclude the user 1416 providing authentication information in thefacility 1402, using a computing device at the facility 1402 toauthenticate identity to the item management system 1420, and so forth.

By determining the occurrence of one or more of the events 1424, theitem management system 1420 may generate output data 1422. The outputdata 1422 comprises information about the event 1424. For example, wherethe event 1424 comprises an item 1404 being removed from, or placed in,a cart 1418, the output data 1422 may comprise an item identifierindicative of the particular item 1404 that was removed from, or placedin, the cart 1418, a quantity of the item 1404, a user identifier of auser that removed the item 1404, and/or other output data 1422.

The item management system 1420 may use one or more automated systems togenerate the output data 1422. For example, an artificial neuralnetwork, one or more classifiers, or other automated machine learningtechniques may be used to process the sensor data and/or image data fromthe one or more sensors to generate output data 1422. The automatedsystems may operate using probabilistic or non-probabilistic techniques.For example, the automated systems may use a Bayesian network. Inanother example, the automated systems may use support vector machinesto generate the output data 1422 or the tentative results. The automatedsystems may generate confidence level data that provides informationindicative of the accuracy or confidence that the output data 1422 orthe tentative data corresponds to the physical world.

The confidence level data may be generated using a variety oftechniques, based at least in part on the type of automated system inuse. For example, a probabilistic system using a Bayesian network mayuse a probability assigned to the output as the confidence level.Continuing the example, the Bayesian network may indicate that theprobability that the item depicted in the image data corresponds to anitem previously stored in memory is 145%. This probability may be usedas the confidence level for that item as depicted in the image data.

In another example, output from non-probabilistic techniques such assupport vector machines may have confidence levels based on a distancein a mathematical space within which the image data of the item and theimages of previously stored items have been classified. The greater thedistance in this space from a reference point such as the previouslystored image to the image data acquired during the occurrence, the lowerthe confidence level.

In yet another example, the image data of an object such as an item 1404may be compared with a set of previously stored images. Differencesbetween the image data and the previously stored images may be assessed.For example, differences in shape, color, relative proportions betweenfeatures in the images, and so forth. The differences may be expressedin terms of distance with a mathematical space. For example, the colorof the object as depicted in the image data and the color of the objectas depicted in the previously stored images may be represented ascoordinates within a color space.

The confidence level may be determined based at least in part on thesedifferences. For example, the user 1416 may pick an item 1404(1) such asa perfume bottle that is generally cubical in shape from the inventorylocation 1414. Other items 1404 at nearby inventory locations 1414 maybe predominately spherical. Based on the difference in shape (cube vs.sphere) from the adjacent items, and the correspondence in shape withthe previously stored image of the perfume bottle item 1404(1) (cubicaland cubical), the confidence level that the user 1416 has picked up theperfume bottle item 1404(1) is high.

In some situations, the automated techniques may be unable to generateoutput data 1422 with a confidence level above a threshold result. Forexample, the automated techniques may be unable to distinguish whichitem 1404 in large a group of items a user 1416 has picked up from theinventory location 1414 and placed in the cart 1418. In othersituations, it may be desirable to provide human confirmation of theevent 1424 or of the accuracy of the output data 1422. For example, someitems 1404 may be deemed age restricted such that they are to be handledonly by users 1416 above a minimum age threshold.

In instances where human confirmation is desired, sensor data associatedwith an event 1424 may be processed to generate inquiry data. Theinquiry data may include a subset of the sensor data associated with theevent 1424. The inquiry data may also include one or more of one or moretentative results as determined by the automated techniques, orsupplemental data. The subset of the sensor data may be determined usinginformation about the one or more sensors. The subset of the sensor datamay include images that may show the item 1404 being placed in, orremoved from, the cart 1418. The subset of the sensor data may also omitimages from other cameras that did not have that item 1404 in the fieldof view. The field of view may comprise a portion of the scene in thecart 1418 that the camera is able to generate sensor/image data about.

Continuing the example, the subset of the sensor data may comprise avideo clip acquired by one or more cameras having a field of view thatincludes the item 1404. The tentative results may comprise the “bestguess” as to which items 1404 may have been involved in the event 1424.For example, the tentative results may comprise results determined bythe automated system that have a confidence level above a minimumthreshold.

The facility 1402 may be configured to receive different kinds of items1404 from various suppliers and to store them until a customer orders orretrieves one or more of the items 1404. A general flow of items 1404through the facility 1402 is indicated by the arrows of FIG. 14 .Specifically, as illustrated in this example, items 1404 may be receivedfrom one or more suppliers, such as manufacturers, distributors,wholesalers, and so forth, at the receiving area 1406. In variousexamples, the items 1404 may include merchandise, commodities,perishables, or any suitable type of item 1404, depending on the natureof the enterprise that operates the facility 1402. The receiving of theitems 1404 may comprise one or more events 1424 for which the itemmanagement system 1420 may generate output data 1422.

Upon being received from a supplier at receiving area 1406, the items1404 may be prepared for storage. For example, items 1404 may beunpacked or otherwise rearranged. An inventory management system of thefacility 1402 may include one or more software applications executing ona computer system to provide inventory management functions based on theevents 1424 associated with the unpacking or rearrangement. Theseinventory management functions may include maintaining informationindicative of the type, quantity, condition, cost, location, weight, orany other suitable parameters with respect to the items 1404. The items1404 may be stocked, managed, or dispensed in terms of countable,individual units or multiples, such as packages, cartons, crates,pallets, or other suitable aggregations. Alternatively, some items 1404,such as bulk products, commodities, and so forth, may be stored incontinuous or arbitrarily divisible amounts that may not be inherentlyorganized into countable units. Such items 1404 may be managed in termsof measurable quantity such as units of length, area, volume, weight,time, duration, or other dimensional properties characterized by unitsof measurement. Generally speaking, a quantity of an item 1404 may referto either a countable number of individual or aggregate units of an item1404 or a measurable amount of an item 1404, as appropriate.

After arriving through the receiving area 1406, items 1404 may be storedwithin the storage area 1408. In some examples, like items 1404 may bestored or displayed together in the inventory locations 1414 such as inbins, on shelves, hanging from pegboards, and so forth. In this example,all items 1404 of a given kind are stored in one inventory location1414. In other examples, like items 1404 may be stored in differentinventory locations 1414. For example, to optimize retrieval of certainitems 1404 having frequent turnover within a large physical facility1402, those items 1404 may be stored in several different inventorylocations 1414 to reduce congestion that might occur at a singleinventory location 1414.

When a customer order specifying one or more items 1404 is received, oras a user 1416 progresses through the facility 1402, the correspondingitems 1404 may be selected or “picked” from the inventory locations 1414containing those items 1404. In various examples, item picking may rangefrom manual to completely automated picking. For example, in oneexample, a user 1416 may have a list of items 1404 they desire and mayprogress through the facility 1402 picking items 1404 from inventorylocations 1414 within the storage area 1408, and placing those items1404 into a cart 1418. In other examples, employees of the facility 1402may pick items 1404 using written or electronic pick lists derived fromcustomer orders. These picked items 1404 may be placed into the cart1418 as the employee progresses through the facility 1402. Picking maycomprise one or more events 1424, such as the user 1416 in moving to theinventory location 1414, retrieval of the item 1404 from the inventorylocation 1414, and so forth.

After items 1404 have been picked, they may be processed at a transitionarea 1410. The transition area 1410 may be any designated area withinthe facility 1402 where items 1404 are transitioned from one location toanother or from one entity to another. For example, the transition area1410 may be a packing station within the facility 1402. When the item1404 arrives at the transition area 1410, the items 1404 may betransitioned from the storage area 1408 to the packing station.Information about the transition may be maintained by the itemmanagement system 1420 using the output data 1422 associated with thoseevents 1424.

In another example, if the items 1404 are departing the facility 1402 alist of the items 1404 may be used by the item management system 1420 totransition responsibility for, or custody of, the items 1404 from thefacility 1402 to another entity. For example, a carrier may accept theitems 1404 for transport with that carrier accepting responsibility forthe items 1404 indicated in the list. In another example, a customer maypurchase or rent the items 1404 and remove the items 1404 from thefacility 1402.

The item management system 1420 may access or generate sensor data aboutthe items 1404, the users 1416, the carts 1418, and so forth. The sensordata may be acquired by one or more of the sensors, data provided byother systems, and so forth. For example, the sensors may includecameras configured to acquire image data of items 1404 placed in thecarts 1418. The image data may comprise still images, video, or acombination thereof. The image data may be processed by the itemmanagement system 1420 to determine an item identifier for the items1404, a listing of items in the cart 1418 for a user 1416, and so forth.As used herein, the identity of the user of a cart 1418 may represent aunique identifier of the user (e.g., name, number associated with user,username, etc.), an identifier that distinguishes the user amongst otherusers being identified with the environment, or the like.

The item management system 1420, or systems coupled thereto, may beconfigured to identify the user 1416. In one example, this determinationmay comprise comparing sensor data with previously stored identity data.For example, the user 1416 may be identified by showing their face to afacial recognition system, by presenting a token carrying authenticationcredentials, providing a fingerprint, scanning a barcode or other typeof unique identifier upon entering the facility, and so forth. Identityof the user 1416 may be determined before, during, or after entry to thefacility 1402 and/or interaction with a cart 1418. Determination of theuser's 1416 identity may comprise comparing sensor data associated withthe user 1416 in the facility 1402 and/or with the cart 1418 topreviously stored user data. In some examples, the output data 1422 maybe transmitted over a network 1426 to server(s) 1428.

Separate instances of these programs can be executed on or distributedacross any number of separate computer systems. Thus, although certainsteps have been described as being performed by certain devices,software programs, processes, or entities, this need not be the case,and a variety of alternative examples will be understood by those havingordinary skill in the art.

Additionally, those having ordinary skill in the art readily recognizethat the techniques described above can be utilized in a variety ofdevices, environments, and situations. Although the subject matter hasbeen described in language specific to structural features ormethodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matterdefined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to thespecific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features andacts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

While the foregoing invention is described with respect to the specificexamples, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is notlimited to these specific examples. Since other modifications andchanges varied to fit particular operating requirements and environmentswill be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is notconsidered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, andcovers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departuresfrom the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shopping cart comprising: an upper frame; abasket comprising: a first bottom having a first perimeter; three sidescoupled to and extending upward from the first bottom; and a gateextending substantially downward from a first side of the three sidesand a second side of the three sides, wherein the first bottom, thethree sides, and the gate at least partly define an interior cavity ofthe basket to hold at least a first item; a chassis coupled to the upperframe; a first expansion joint that attaches a first portion of thechassis to a front-left portion of the first bottom of the basket; asecond expansion joint that attaches a second portion of the chassis toa front-right portion of the first bottom of the basket; a thirdexpansion joint that attaches a third portion of the chassis to aback-left portion of the first bottom of the basket; a fourth expansionjoint that attaches a fourth portion of the chasses to a back-rightportion of the first bottom of the basket; one or more weight sensors,the one or more weight sensors disposed between the chassis and thebasket; a shelf coupled to and extending substantially horizontally froma back-portion of the first bottom of the basket, the shelf comprising:a second bottom having a second perimeter; and four sides coupled to andextending upward from the second perimeter, wherein the second bottomand the four sides define an interior cavity of the shelf to hold atleast a second item; a substantially vertical member extendingsubstantially downward from the upper frame and to a top of a wheelframe; and wheel castors coupled to a bottom of the wheel frame.
 2. Theshopping cart as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a handlebarmodule coupled to the upper frame, the handlebar module comprising: anopening; and a first rail feature disposed at least partially within theopening; and a battery that is removable from the opening, the batterycomprising a second rail feature that is configured to engage with thefirst rail feature in order to guide the battery into the opening. 3.The shopping cart as recited in claim 1, wherein the chassis furthercomprises: an opening; and a screw that connects the chassis to thebasket through the opening, the screw to maintain an alignment of thebasket in order to prevent the basket from contacting the upper frame.4. A mobile apparatus comprising: an upper frame; a basket comprising: afirst bottom having a first perimeter; three sides coupled to andextending upward from the bottom; and a gate extending substantiallydownward from a first side of the three sides and a second side of thethree sides, the gate including a component that prevents the gate fromcontacting the upper frame, and wherein the first bottom, the threesides, and the gate define a first receptacle of the basket; a shelfcoupled to and extending from the basket, the shelf comprising: a secondbottom having a second perimeter; and four sides coupled to andextending upward from the second bottom, the second bottom and the foursides defining a second receptacle of the shelf; a chassis coupled tothe upper frame; a fastener that attach the basket to the chassis; oneor more weight sensors disposed between the chassis and the basket; avertical member extending substantially downward from the upper frameand to a wheel frame; and one or more wheel castors coupled to the wheelframe.
 5. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein: thechassis includes an opening; and the fastener is located at leastpartially within the opening, the fastener to align the basket onto thechassis in order to prevent the basket from contacting the upper frame.6. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 4, the fastener comprises anexpansion joint that attach the chassis to the basket.
 7. The mobileapparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the upper frame furthercomprises one or more openings, and wherein the mobile apparatus furthercomprises: a handlebar module coupled to the upper frame; and anelectrical connector disposed through the one or more openings, theelectrical connector to attach the one or more weight sensors to thehandlebar module.
 8. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 4, whereinthe one or more weight sensors comprise at least: a first loadcelldisposed between a first portion of the basket and a first portion ofthe chassis; and a second loadcell disposed between a second portion ofthe basket and a second portion of the chassis.
 9. The mobile apparatusas recited in claim 4, wherein: the bottom of the basket includes agroove; and the gate is configured to move between a first position anda second position, the component of the gate configured to insert intothe groove when the gate is in the first position in order to secure thegate to the bottom of the basket.
 10. The mobile apparatus as recited inclaim 4, wherein the bottom of the basket includes at least one spacer,the at least one spacer marking a separation of a first portion of thebasket from a second portion of the basket.
 11. The mobile apparatus asrecited in claim 4, further comprising: a handlebar module coupled tothe upper frame, the handlebar module comprising an opening; and aremovable battery that is disposed within the opening.
 12. The mobileapparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein: the opening further comprisesa first rail feature; and the removable battery comprises a second railfeature that is configured to engage with the first rail feature inorder to guide the battery into the opening.
 13. The mobile apparatus asrecited in claim 11, wherein: the opening is a first opening thehandlebar module further comprises: a prong that is configured to movebetween a first position and a second position, the prong to secure theremovable battery within the first opening when in the first position;and a second opening; and the mobile apparatus further comprises a keythat is configured to insert into the second opening in order to causethe prong to move to the second position.
 14. The mobile apparatus asrecited in claim 4, further comprising: a handlebar module coupled tothe upper frame, the handlebar module comprising at least: a display;and an imaging device; and a bar coupled to a first side of the upperframe and a second side of the upper frame, the bar to protect thehandlebar module.
 15. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 4,further comprising: one or more imaging devices; one or more processors;and one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processorsto perform operations comprising: receiving sensor data from the one ormore weight sensors; determining a weight of an item based at least inpart on the first sensor data; receiving image data from the one or moreimaging devices; determining that the image data represents anidentifier associated with an item; and generating item datarepresenting at least: the identifier associated with the item; and theweight of the item.
 16. A mobile apparatus comprising: an upper frame; achassis coupled to the upper frame; a basket disposed on the chassis,the basket comprising: a bottom having a perimeter; and one or moresides coupled to and extending upward from the bottom, the bottom andthe one or more sides defining a receptacle; a handlebar module coupledto the upper frame, the handlebar module comprising an opening; aremovable battery that is disposed within the opening, the removablebattery comprising a cavity, and wherein the opening comprises a prongthat is configured to move between a first position and a secondposition, the prong disposed within the cavity when in the firstposition in order to secure the removable batty within the opening; oneor more sensors; a vertical member extending downward from the upperframe and to a wheel frame; and one or more wheel castors coupled to thewheel frame.
 17. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein:the opening further comprises a first rail feature; and the removablebattery comprises a second rail feature, the first rail feature and thesecond rail feature configured to guide the battery into the opening.18. The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising oneor more fasteners that attach the basket to the chassis in order toprevent the basket from contacting the upper frame.
 19. The mobileapparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising: a handlebar modulecoupled to the upper frame, the handlebar module comprising an opening;and a removable battery that is disposed within the opening, theremovable battery comprising a cavity, and wherein the opening comprisesa prong that is configured to move between a first position and a secondposition, the prong disposed within the cavity when in the firstposition in order to secure the removable batty within the opening. 20.The mobile apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein: the bottom is afirst bottom; the perimeter is a first perimeter; the first bottom andthe one or more sides define a first receptacle of the basket; and themobile apparatus further comprises a shelf coupled to and extending fromthe basket, the shelf comprising: a second bottom having a secondperimeter; and four sides coupled to and extending upward from thesecond bottom, the second bottom and the four sides defining a secondreceptacle of the shelf.
 21. A mobile apparatus comprising: an upperframe; a basket comprising: a first bottom having a first perimeter;three sides coupled to and extending upward from the bottom; and a gateextending substantially downward from an upper edge of the basket, thegate including a component that prevents the gate from contacting theupper frame; a shelf coupled to and extending from the basket, the shelfcomprising: a second bottom having a second perimeter; and four sidescoupled to and extending upward from the second bottom; a chassiscoupled to the upper frame, wherein the basket is coupled to thechassis; one or more weight sensors disposed between the chassis and thebasket; a vertical member extending substantially downward from theupper frame and to a wheel frame; and one or more wheel castors coupledto the wheel frame.